People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Belize
Belize: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 16,495 people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Belize, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Belize recorded 16,495 people for people in rural areas not using an improved water source in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Belize peaked at 17,217 people in 2017 and was at its lowest, 15,030 people, in 2000.
That places Belize 108th out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Belize, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15,030 people | — |
| 2001 | 15,272 people | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 15,504 people | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 15,729 people | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 15,948 people | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 16,160 people | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 16,362 people | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 16,553 people | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 16,731 people | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 16,893 people | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 17,007 people | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 17,070 people | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 17,118 people | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 17,151 people | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 17,169 people | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 17,173 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 17,203 people | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 17,217 people | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 17,144 people | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 16,988 people | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 16,791 people | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 16,561 people | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 16,435 people | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 16,329 people | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 16,495 people | +1.0% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 16,495 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 40,286 people, 41% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Belize's 16,495 people is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 48,260 people, 34% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16,018 people | 15,030 people | 16,893 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 17,124 people | 16,988 people | 17,217 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,522 people | 16,329 people | 16,791 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belize
More environment data for Belize
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.66 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.87 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.287 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.0489 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Belize?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Belize was 16,495 people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 17,217 people in 2017.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,030 people in 2000.
- How does Belize rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Belize ranks 108th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belize data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People in rural areas not using an improved water source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.